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Monday, February 28, 2011

Gemstone Monday

Monday monday. Its a rainy monday here is Buffalo and while the rain is washing away the snow it is unveiling the earth below us. The ground; grass, pebbles, hunks of earthen soil clumped together. But dig a little deeper than just the ground into the earth below our feet and we discover one of my biggest inspirations to jewelry creations. Gemstones! Rocks! Beautiful, raw, organic, natural stones. A gemstone or gem (also called a precious or semi-precious stone, or jewel) is a piece of mineral, which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments. Here are some that may be familiar to you; Turquoise (my favorite), Amber, Quartz, Amethyst, Moonstone, Tigers eye and Amazonite to name a few. There are so many beautiful gemstones that God has created and it seems that more are discovered as time goes on.Ok! So, today's our first gemstone Monday and I'm featuring the famous Amethyst! That rich, royal, velvety purple color that so many adore! If your birthday is in February you get the honor of wearing this gorgeous gem as your birthstone. Amethyst is found in many different areas of the world including Brazil, Uruguay, South Korea, Austria, Russia, US and Canada. The largest mining field in North America is actually very close to us East coasters...is found in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

So how has Amethyst inspired Jewelry by Bean? Although I appreciate this gemstone and reckognize its beauty, I have to admit it is not my "go-to" gemstone. I gravitate towards more warm colors and earthen colors. However, I do create pieces with this gemstone because its important for me to make things that everyone will love. I came across a gorgeous strand of amethyst last summer while in Northern California. It reminded me of rock candy with distinct irregular cuts so I jumped on that find. When shopping for supplies and gemstones in particular, I look for rarities and unique pieces. This strand made the cut! Here is just one beautiful piece I've created from that luscious strand of "rock candy".